Pitch Black
by BlackMajjicDuchess
Summary: In the ongoing quest for recognition in the Hyuuga family, Neji finds himself struggling to protect those he cares about from a serial killer known as the Night Terror, whose victims are the precious children of the Leaf Village. Neji faces a tough choice: break the rules for the family, or follow them for the village?
1. Pitch Black

**Prologue**

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A dangerous killer is loose on the streets of Konoha, threatening its children. A village full of competent Shinobi should have no problem dispatching such a menace, except that the murderer only strikes during the new moon when the world is cloaked in impenetrable darkness. Neji, fearing for the safety of the Hyuuga family-the youngest, Hanabi, in particular-seeks to discover the identity of the culprit and hand him over to justice. Plagued with nightmares and insomnia, he feels pressured to do something about the Night Terror and ensure his place within the Hyuuga family.

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Characters:

Neji Hyuuga

Hinata Hyuuga

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Rated T. No romance, some violence and cuss words. A bit of angst and drama, too.

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Acknowledgments: This story was written for Ramey, one of my coworkers. She loves Neji and actually offered to pay me to write a fanfiction with Neji in it. I refused payment.

I've never really written much of Neji before. I think he's awesome, but at the same time, he doesn't get a lot of screen time, so he kind of becomes one of those characters that you have to build yourself, not quite as rich as a character like Naruto. I spent many days trying to figure out how I could write a story centered around Neji.

I started by challenging myself to cut all romance and any mention of a "lemon," which is always a fun personal goal of mine. I don't love writing love scenes, and I am always thrilled when I find a story out there written by someone else that's about the STORY, and not about pairings. I asked Ramey if she would be heartbroken if I left out any romance. She was fine with it. *fist pump*

After that, I wanted to build a story with Neji AND Hinata (because I love Hinata). They've been training together a lot, but there isn't a lot of talk about it. After that, I needed a conflict, a twist, and some sort of tragedy. The story on the following pages is the result.

I hope you like it, Ramey. And if you don't... my bad.


	2. Something Precious

**Chapter One: Something _Precious_**

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_He was running at top speed, without a destination in mind, pulled by instinct. Turn, twist, dash ahead. His arms were splayed out behind him, ready to lend him balance in a turn or in case any obstacles slowed him down. All he knew was that he had somewhere that he needed to be, desperately, or many people would die. _

_ A woman with curling red hair ran next to him, speaking to him. "The seventh victim in what appears to be a mass murder spree was claimed in the night. Nine year-old Jordi of the Akimichi clan was found dead in her bed this morning in a grisly scene. I have been asked not to disclose the details…"_

_ He knew he was close. Somewhere ahead was an enemy that needed him and only him to kill. The lives of many were in his hands. Their fates belonged to him. If he did something, they might live. If he did nothing, they would surely die. _

_ "Parents are advised to lock their doors and windows at night and keep their children in their own beds if at all possible. No one is allowed out of doors after nightfall. Curfew will be enforced by jounin level ninja. Any information leading to the capture of the Night Terror will be rewarded. Please contact Shikamaru Nara, thank you."_

_ "Go away. I get it," he told the woman._

_ She vanished immediately, and then suddenly the streets were pitch black. "Byakugan!" He activated his visual jutsu, turning the streets into a negative and allowing him to see. There were no chakra signatures anywhere. Frustrated beyond belief, he stopped suddenly, spraying pebbles and dust all over the street. He looked up, down, left, right, and behind him. No one was here. He heard laughter. It sounded like a thousand people all laughing with the same voice..._

* * *

And then he woke. His radio was blaring. He used it as his alarm clock buzzer, but lately it had started seeping into his dreams. He always found that disconcerting, that the sounds of his room could somehow manifest into his dreams or nightmares. One time he'd had the actual buzzer on, and in his dream, Naruto was huge and more ugly than usual and made obnoxious buzzer sounds right in his face, flashing psychedelic colors. He vividly remembered how awful his breath had smelled. He rolled over and hit the snooze button, then flopped onto his back and gazed at the ceiling, giving his body time to wake up.

The news on the radio lately had been alarming, and he wasn't even comforted by the fact that, at 17 years of age, he was probably too old to be considered a target. Someone—or something, since he supposed animals weren't ruled out—was killing children in Konoha. Civilians of the village had taken to giving the thing a name—the Night Terror. It struck during the week that the moon was at its darkest and had eluded capture so far.

Well then. 5:15 a.m. Training time.

He dressed and left his bedroom in the Hyuuga complex. He began making his way to the gates. He always met Hinata in the mornings so they could train together. On his way, he wrapped his mind around the news. He had put in a request to be put on the Night Terror case after the first death had made a stir. Tsunade had politely told him that she'd rather have him available for other missions if the need arose because of his tracking abilities. She had members of Intelligence trying to investigate the Night Terror, and much more senior Jounin charged with protecting Konoha. He had faith in the abilities of the Leaf Village to capture the culprit, even if they hadn't turned up anything so far. What could he really do, anyway? He could fight, but he didn't know where to start looking.

Hinata was already at the gate, as she usually was. He had told her when they had started training together that if she were ever late, he would leave her and train alone. She had taken him at his word, even if he no longer considered leaving her behind a possibility. She was definitely determined. She hadn't seen him yet; she was looking at her toes, probably lost in thought about Naruto, from whom she still had not managed to gain attention.

Naruto was an enigma around which Neji still was not completely comfortable. He had the strange ability to change people into better people, for which Neji was eternally grateful. However, that didn't detract from how utterly annoying and dimwitted he seemed to be the other 99% of the time that he was talking, which meant Neji didn't want to have to be near him unless it was absolutely necessary. Hinata probably knew all about the 1% of the time that Naruto was a true inspiration and forgave him the other 99%. More power to her. He couldn't stomach it.

Naruto had changed Neji, too. When Naruto had beaten him—by outsmarting him, which still chafed—he was forced to reevaluate his understanding of destiny. If Naruto could be such a loser 99% of the time and still manage to beat a genius like himself, perhaps there was more to a life than destiny. Perhaps a good deal of what life was made of was determined by choices and determination. He was sure his overconfidence that day at the Chunin Exams had derailed him, as well. He made a monumental effort to curb his arrogance since then. It had been a good lesson, and lucky for him had not been as mortal as it could have been. Had he faced a stronger enemy bent on killing him with as much guts as Naruto had used in their match, he'd be a goner.

Hinata was a good example of the theory of destiny by choice and determination. She was weaker than him, sweeter than him, and more privileged than him and yet… yet she had been working hard enough that she was catching up to him and didn't care much for her opportunities as a main family member of the Hyuuga Household. Her dreams were simpler. She wanted to marry Naruto, bear his children, and protect her village and her family.

What was his goal? What did he fight for? He had been so caught up in anger and his obsession with proving that his worth was more than that of _any_ member of the main family that he'd confused himself. Why did he even exist? It didn't really take a genius to figure out that a Shinobi without a purpose was a blunt weapon. He needed a focus. He needed a reason to be strong. Naruto had one. Hinata had one. Hell, Rock Lee had one. Did he? No.

He had been waking up at 5:15 a.m. for years. He ran 10 miles every morning to stay in shape. On those morning runs, he lost himself in his thoughts. He thought about the Village. He thought about the Hyuuga family. He thought about his matches against Hinata and against Naruto and against the Sound Village ninja, Kidomaru, when he'd seriously almost died. He thought about Naruto being Hokage, if he ever got to be. And on one of those 10 mile runs, he realized something. Something important. Something life-changingly important. Something to fight for. Something _precious_.

_Hinata_.

It was so stupidly simple that he laughed out loud while he was running and had to stop to laugh it out. He'd gotten a cramp in the process. Hinata was the eldest daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga. She'd always been a disappointment to Hiashi. She was too nice, didn't want to beat on her little sister to prove her strength, too quiet. She was a thinker, a lover, not a fighter. She was only now becoming strong because she wanted to prove herself to Naruto. Put simply, she was so un-Hyuuga-like that she didn't belong in the clan. When he was younger, that was why he had hated her. How did someone like that stand to be worth more than someone like him? Why did a weakling like Hinata get to be born into the main household when he, Neji the genius, was relegated to the debasement of the branch family? But it was precisely those qualities about her that made Neji realize that she would be the perfect successor to someone like Hiashi. There was no other good choice. Hanabi had had no problem laying her elder sister out flat. She'd had no problem hurting innocent, sweet Hinata just to show how tough she was to brutish Hiashi. And if he, Neji, somehow stood to inherit? Even if he thought himself a better man than that, he was still certain that part of him would be punishing the main family members for the suffering of the branch, intentionally or not. Power like that would corrupt him. He didn't have the heart to be a compassionate leader. At least, not yet. It was something that he was working on.

But Hinata did. Hinata would be an excellent leader. She would care for both the main family and the branch family. She would not punish branch members out of hand or out of spite. She would protect the family, not hurt the family. And, if she were really, truly strong, she really could protect the entire family. The Hyuuga tradition said that the main family protected the family and its secrets, and the branch family protected the main family to protect them and their secrets. Hinata would be everything Hiashi was not. She was not the type of person to squander her power, and that was precisely why she should be the one to have it. All she needed was a little more confidence and some time to grow into her true strength.

Neji found his purpose that day. He knew he should be the one to teach Hinata everything he could to make her strong, and then he would be her strongest supporter once she became the head of the clan. If he made her strong enough, Hiashi would not disinherit Hinata in lieu of her sister, Hanabi, and once Hinata was head of clan, his life will have had honest meaning. He would have done something truly good, and he'd have something worth fighting for.

So, he'd had lunch with his cousin that afternoon, and he was trying. He told her he'd meet her at the gate every morning at 5:15 a.m. They ran 10 miles together to stay in shape. Then, they meditated. Afterward, Neji and Hinata practiced their Gentle Fist techniques. They went at each other full force; Neji wasn't taking it easy on her. For a long time, Hinata would lose the match and need serious medical attention. Gentle Fist was not gentle at all on the delicate system of chakra, but it was the only way to practice. For a long time, Neji questioned whether or not this would ever work. Perhaps Hinata just was not cut out for this kind of combat. And then, gradually, she improved. One day, she'd gotten a good hit in, and Neji spat up blood. She still lost, but when she was recovered, they'd gotten coffee and chocolate to celebrate the small victory. She was so proud of herself in her quiet way, smiling and enjoying the chocolate he'd bought, that he found himself actually enjoying the company of his younger cousin. Nowadays, she was defeating him about one time in five, and both of them considered that far exceeding expectations. After Gentle Fist practice, they'd take turns buying a late lunch. They were able to spend casual time with each other this way, and by now could actually consider each other good friends as well as cousins. After lunch, they worked separately on improving the power of their rotations. Hinata had developed her own kind of rotation, and so Neji wasn't much of a fountain of knowledge in that department. Likewise, she couldn't really tell him much about his, since he was so far advanced in Hyuuga rotation technique.

"Hinata," Neji greeted.

"Cousin," she said back.

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**A/N:** I just finished writing this story (yes, the whole thing is written... that's my style), and I must say I am INTENSELY proud of myself for this one. I really hope you enjoy it! I feel like it's a very complete story line with a good ending, and it has a nice length. Please let me know what you think as I roll it out. :) I typically publish the next chapter when my views start to drop off. I don't love to keep you waiting, but I like a good, slow burn instead of an explosion of story. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say! Enjoy the story!

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_**Chapter Two: Not Today**_


	3. Not Today

**Chapter Two: Not Today**

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They left the Hyuuga grounds together in silence. They didn't need to speak, not yet. They would have plenty of time to talk about things during lunch. The time allotted between now and then was for training. Both of them had something to prove, and both of them were deadly serious about doing so. They ran 10 miles in silence. It used to be that Hinata would already be flagging before the end of the second mile. It was clear she'd never really done stamina training before. Back then it annoyed him because he felt like she was slowing him down. Then, he gave her some tips about how to run lightly so it didn't wear her out so much. He taught her the proper way to breathe when running. Before too long she was keeping pace with him, and he was proud of her. It also made him feel accomplished, since he'd taught her something that made her better in some way. He'd always thought he would hate being a teacher, but it made him feel… good.

When they'd finished their run, they meditated for a short while and rehydrated. When they were ready, they eased into a Gentle Fist spar. They started out slowly, usually, to warm up. Sometimes they skipped the warm up, though, to simulate a spontaneous battle situation. When he felt they'd warmed up enough, he gave the signal and the real fight began.

They circled slowly. Each step mirrored the other's. They were wary of each other's skills. Each knew how powerful the other was, and neither exactly relished the idea of the searing pain that accompanied a chakra block placed _just so_. Today, unusual to form, Hinata made the first attack. The initiative surprised Neji enough that he had to just dodge her first jab instead of counter it. That was all he was giving her though. They made a series of flurried palm jabs, each aiming for the chakra points that would immobilize, but not kill. Neither gained any ground. Their faces were set with determination. Sweat beaded on their brows.

Finally, Neji hit her with his 8 Trigrams, 64 palms, though she blocked many of his hits. It wasn't the full 128 that he could do, but he didn't want to expend that much energy on a sparring exercise. He managed to shut down a couple of tenketsu in her sides and legs and send her sprawling. She rose, shakily to her feet. "It's over, Hinata," he told her. "I won today." He didn't want her to get hurt too badly, but he knew how well his Gentle Fist worked on tenketsu.

Panting, she shook her head. "Not today, Neji." She calmed and refocused. She'd become a lot better at that, where before she would mostly cry and just curl up on the ground. She raised her two fingers to her forehead; her way of focusing chakra. "Gentle Step, Twin Lion Fists," she whispered, so quietly that he could barely hear. Chakra blazed forth from her hands. She curled them into fists, and identical twin lions roared forth from her knuckles. She turned to face him then, the look on her face more aggressive than before. "Today, and every other day from now on, I will defeat you."

Neji was shocked. Where had she learned that?! He didn't even have time to process as she dashed toward him. He knew if she hit him with those, he was finished. She struck, her right fist rushing toward his chest. He dodged, barely, the lion on her hand roaring, literally, past his ear. Before he knew it, her left hand was arcing toward his face. She unleashed a barrage of punches aimed to paralyze, and all he could do was evade. Her determination was splendid. Finally, she overshot, spinning past him, and he saw his chance. He had no choice, if he wanted to win. "8 Trigrams, 128 Palms!" Fingers and palms flying faster than the human eye could see, he destabilized all of her lesser chakra points. It would cause excruciating pain, he knew, but she'd live. It brought him little joy to win so, but he was not accustomed to losing. Hinata knew that, and the difficulty of fighting him was part of what made her stronger.

So she lost, again. But after their fight, he picked her up. "I think we skip Rotations today, Hinata," he told her gently. "I'll get you to Sakura." She looked like she was going to protest, but after testing her feet and finding that she could not walk without collapsing, she reluctantly agreed.

They ordered in at the hospital. One of their favorite restaurants made everything and put it on sticks like kebabs. They even had noodles, deep-fried upon the stick, so you could dip it in sauces. When all of the cardboard packages were opened and they'd chosen their fare, he questioned her about their match. "Where did you learn that, Hinata?" he asked her. "I've never seen that before."

She blushed, hesitant. "Well, after dinner most nights, I train on my own. My team told me that I needed to find something that I liked that I was good at, so I've worked on chakra control. Working on control has taught me a lot about chakra, specifically what chakra does within me."

He knew the feeling. When he was younger, that was exactly how he'd deduced the Hyuuga main family's secrets, which were forbidden to him, without anyone's help. That was why people hailed him as a genius, and why Hiashi had had to face the past and speak to Neji about the true events surrounding his father.

"I've… learned some things that I can do," she said, smiling, "to protect those that are precious to me."

"Naruto?" he implored.

She nodded. "Naruto, yes. You, too." He smiled back at her. "And my little sister, Hanabi. Mother, Father. The rest of the clan. And the whole village, if I can. I don't want to be Hokage, but if it comes down to it, I want to be able to protect the Hokage. Everyone else is willing to lay down their lives for someone important. I want to do that, too."

He gnawed on his squid stick, letting her words tumble out. He'd learned that, with Hinata, most of the time she didn't talk. But, once you got her talking, she said exactly what was on her mind until there wasn't anything left to say. He liked what she had to say.

"You've always been stronger than me, Cousin, but today… Today I surprised you. I know you didn't like that, but I felt… proud. I can do something that you can't, and I put you on the defensive for a good part of our match. I'm getting better." She smiled.

"I think you should not compare yourself to me any longer, Hinata. After today, you showed me that your style is completely different than mine. I have speed, and power. I have my numerous palm techniques and a Rotation. You have protective instincts. Your lions. You're lighter on your feet than I. We're completely different ninja. I'd say you can be proud of yourself for all that you've accomplished. And did you say you've been practicing after dinner? Alone?"

She blushed again. "I have made it my priority to practice until after the sun sets. And of course, some days I have to train with my team, as well."

He looked at her as if seeing someone completely new. "So wait… how many hours a week do you practice?" 5:30 a.m. to about 1 p.m. was when they trained, so about seven and a half hours a day, daily. That made nearly 53 hours a week. He considered that to be a pretty full week without any extracurricular activities.

He watched her head cook up the math. "Just over 90, I think," she said, biting her lip.

_Holy...!_

He tried to make his expression stern. "Hinata, don't overdo it. You'll make yourself sick with exhaustion. Or go crazy. I mean, look at Lee and Guy." His teammate and his sensei were absolutely bat shit crazy. Lee worked harder than anyone he had ever met, but he did it by setting completely unrealistic goals, just like their teacher. Of course, Rock Lee could not perform ninjutsu or genjutsu, a rarity that Neji felt compelled to label as a bizarre disease of the chakra. Anyway, Might Guy and Rock Lee were almost as annoying as Naruto, with the way they went on about the power of youth and their flamboyant green outfits. They were just… loud, in appearance and in speech.

She smiled, but she would not be swayed. "I have a lot of catching up to do," she stated. "Everyone is so far ahead of me. I can't bear the thought that someone might need me someday, and I won't be strong enough to save them. Or worse, what if _I_ need to be saved again? I've needed to be saved on pretty much every mission I've ever been on."

She was right, but she hadn't been out on a mission in a long time. He was hoping she wouldn't need to be saved anymore, either. "Hinata, everyone needs to be saved sometimes. No one is perfect."

She gave him a look. "_You_ are."

He frowned. He usually loved it when people told him that. He didn't like it at all coming from her. "No, I'm not. I'm kind of an asshole. Attitude is important too."

Her eyes flashed. "And when Naruto is somehow dying, with the enemy poised to strike… is my-gentle attitude-going to stop them from running him through?" she asked, the one and only streak of anger he'd ever seen from her.

He hesitated. "Well, no," he admitted.

"No," she repeated. "But if I am strong enough, I can stop them. And I will," she added fiercely.

He lost her to her thoughts. He wondered what thoughts they were. Were they all about Naruto? How could one annoying ninja like Naruto cause such a widespread effect? It was as everyone he ever talked to received a breath of new life, wanting suddenly to be good, honest, strong people who protected all that was wholesome in life. Hinata had transformed from a whimpering, weak punching bag into a strong, confident guardian. He liked to think that this time he'd been a part of that, too. The thought made him smile.

He felt he'd done well.

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**A/N:** I wrote in my prologue that the events of this story take place somewhere in the middle of the time skip between Naruto and Shippuden. This chapter would be the unveiling of Hinata's Twin Lions technique that she uses against Pain in the anime to protect Naruto (See Shippuden 166: Confessions). By this time, Neji and her team are already acquainted with her new and unusual version of the Rotation (See Episode 151: Blaze Away, Byakugan! This is My Ninja Way!). I'm always pretty happy when I can write a story that fits with the existing plot. There's more to come in this one that does that. I hope you enjoy it.

If you're enjoying this, please take the time to review, if you can. It's actually extremely difficult on this site to get any attention on a story that omits sex. *Le sigh* I'd appreciate any help, and a higher review count would help me attract some attention. Thanks! ~Duckess

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**Chapter Three: Losing Sleep**


	4. Losing Sleep

**Chapter Three: Losing Sleep**

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He couldn't sleep that night. He didn't really know why. Usually, waking up at the crack of dawn and training as hard as he did—including a near-spanking by his younger cousin—was enough to make him pass out before he hit the mattress. He lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, listening to some smooth, quiet wooden flute music from his clock radio.

He let his thoughts wander.

He considered the future, and what life might be like in the Hyuuga household when Hinata was in charge. He imagined that the family as a whole would be a lot closer, training together, sharing all their meals together. He imagined that the Hyuuga clan might even be far stronger than the Uchiha Clan had ever been. He wondered if there might be newer, stronger clans up and coming in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Actually, he felt Lee and Guy (by default) deserved their own clan, one that was known worldwide for superior taijutsu. He hoped that Lee found a good woman to settle down with to begin such a clan. Ninjutsu was one thing, but taijutsu was near and dear to his own heart. He felt that taijutsu was incredibly important, especially once chakra was drained and fatigue set in. Excellent taijutsu could save lives.

He considered the recent murders, too. He wondered if the team in charge of investigating the killer had turned up anything yet, and made a mental note to check with Shikamaru tomorrow to ask. Surely the prick couldn't evade capture forever. There had to be a trail, some kind of evidence… _something_.

And lastly, he thought about Hinata in general. He was proud of his cousin. Hinata had managed to stay true to who she was while getting stronger. She had never let go of her feelings for Naruto, no matter how far away he seemed from her reach. Neji wondered if Naruto had caught on yet. Probably not. Skilled, and miraculously lucky most of the time he might be, Naruto still wasn't too bright. His heart was strong, and his intuition was spot on, but he often failed to pick up on social cues, particularly when it came to women. He wondered if he ought to have a talk with Naruto Uzumaki. Certainly, Hinata deserved at least a _chance_…

…Nah. Probably she'd be upset with him for stealing the credit for attracting his notice, and blame him for it. Best just to leave it to her.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sliding door to the house click shut. He sat bolt upright in bed, tense. In the dark, he couldn't see a thing. The night was thick and suffocating. What if the killer was _here_? That was enough to rouse him. He silently slipped from his bed. He wore his black pajama pants and no shoes, but he was deadly enough naked that he didn't care. He headed toward the direction that he'd heard the sound. With chakra flowing through his strange eyes, he could see everything. He found the door he thought the sound had come from. Opened, and closed it silently. He padded swiftly across the grass of the courtyard toward the gate…

…and careened straight into Hanabi Hyuga coming around a corner. "Hanabi!" he hissed.

She flinched. "Neji!" she shrieked, flying into his arms. "I was so scared!"

"What are you doing awake?" he asked, hugging her tight. Tall for her age, she was able to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I… can't sleep. At least, not in my bed. The Night Terror." Her eyes were wide, and he understood.

"I can't either, but I'm not sure why. I should be plenty tired."

"Me, too. I train all the time."

"Good," he said, smiling. "You'll be very strong some day, and Konoha will be lucky to have you."

She laughed. "I'm already stronger than you think," she sniped at him. "Probably stronger than you."

He smiled at the joke. "Back to bed, cousin. The Night has a Terror. Lock your door tight, okay? Want me to walk you back?"

"I always lock it," she said on a sigh. "And no, I know the way back to my room. Thanks for the hug, Neji." She hugged him again, and crept back toward the direction of her room.

On his way back to his room, he knocked gently on Hinata's door. There was no answer from within. He pushed his ear up against it, just to make sure there was no sound of a struggle inside, just in case. He assumed she was sleeping, then, and decided not to open the door to check. He wasn't sure if his cousin slept with clothes on, and didn't want to embarrass her if she woke.

He lay back down on his bed and pulled the covers up. Then he really couldn't sleep, and knew exactly why. The Night Terror seemed more real a threat now. The blackness was overwhelming with his eyes inactivated. He would never be able to sense a threat without the Byakugan. Hanabi's fear tugged at his heart. He really would have to talk to Shikamaru tomorrow, just to put his own fears at ease. It was difficult not to rise from bed again just to make sure Hanabi had gotten back to her room alive.

Somehow or another, he managed to fall asleep. He didn't know until he woke up at 5:15 a.m. on the dot, just like he usually did. He knew he'd dreamed but remembered nothing except that it was a nightmare and that he was glad to be awake. He felt a creeping fear in his heart. Waking up wondering if your family had survived the night was a hideous feeling. He peeked into Hanabi's room. At age eleven, he was betting she wasn't considering the possibility of sleeping nude, so he didn't feel weird peeking into her room without knocking. She was in there, breathing evenly. He watched the rise and fall of her chest for several cycles before he assured himself she was still alive. Thank goodness.

He met Hinata at the gate as usual. He was a few minutes late, so she was actually looking for him when he arrived. "Sorry, I checked on Hanabi. She woke up in the middle of the night scared and it kind of freaked me out, too."

She smiled. "Same. I checked on her before my shower. I'm glad she's okay. I haven't been sleeping well either."

"Me neither."

They ran their ten miles, though both of them were nearly exhausted at the end of it, unlike they usually were. The loss of sleep had clearly taken its toll. Hinata beat him easily during their spar. He was too distracted today. He didn't take too much damage, though, so it was a quick in and out at the hospital. Sakura always tsked at him for what she was sure was his mistreatment of Hinata, but she was used to their daily appearance at the hospital now.

"Who won today?" she'd ask as she healed them both.

"She did," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Congratulations, Hinata," she said, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Sakura. Though, to be fair, he wasn't paying attention as well as he should have. We didn't sleep well, him less than me it seems." She shrugged.

Sakura frowned at them. "Night Terror?"

He nodded. "I heard a noise last night. Hanabi was scared and couldn't sleep. Now I'm scared and can't sleep."

She looked at Hinata. "You can't sleep either?"

She shook her head.

"Well," she said as she finished her healing with a long sigh, "if you want, I can prescribe sleeping meds." She glanced between them.

Both of them shook their heads. "If anything happens, I want to be awake," Neji said.

"Same," Hinata said. "Can't protect anyone when you're fast asleep."

"Okayyy," Sakura said. She disapproved, but would not argue. She was a medic and a ninja. Medic Sakura wanted them to sleep. Ninja Sakura agreed that readiness was important. "You're both done here. Enjoy your lunch." She smiled, all warm and friendly now that her work was done. She waved as they exited.

"Dumplings!" Hinata exclaimed. It was her favorite choice, and since she'd won, it was her turn to choose a restaurant. He was okay with dumplings, but they weren't his favorite. Nonetheless, he was grateful it wasn't ramen. He was so utterly sick of ramen just by hearing Naruto's voice.

"Dumplings it is," he agreed.

Over lunch, they spoke of grim things. "I'm worried about Hanabi," Hinata admitted.

Neji set down the dumpling he was working on and regarded his younger cousin. Such a shy, sweet creature, her concern was genuine. He admired her for it. If Hanabi had been his sister, he'd have a hard time ever forgiving her for taking his place in their father's favor. Nonetheless… "She's strong, Hinata. She can take care of herself." He was terrified, truth be told, but Hinata needed him to be strong right now.

"But Neji… the Night Terror probably kills while its victims are sleeping. She's strong, but she's not a sleepwalking killing machine." Tears sprang to her eyes. "What if I can't protect her?"

"We'll both protect her. And your father has probably already made sure she's guarded." He smiled, hoping she was reassured.

"Father has had people guarding her day and night," she offered hesitantly. "She doesn't go anywhere without an escort, but… still…"

"I know you're worried, Hinata. I'm worried, too. But I honestly believe that Hanabi, being a member of the strongest clan in the Leaf Village in the center of a heavily guarded household compound, is probably the last person in the Village that anyone would attempt to kill. It's practically suicide."

He saw her wavering and hoped he'd helped her somehow. Finally, she lowered her eyes and relented. "I hope you're right, Neji. But just in case, I'm going to train even harder."

That was not what he was hoping to hear. He set his mouth in a straight line and gave her a look. "Hinata, seriously. You're going to train yourself to death."

Her eyes, when they met his again, were fierce. "Naruto hasn't."

He sighed and decided not to argue with her anymore. He already told her that he didn't believe she should train quite that hard. There really wasn't much else he could do to keep her from it. She'd had a taste of success, and there wasn't going to be any stopping her now.

They finished eating, and Neji paid the restaurant. Hinata was all quiet determination on their walk back to the Hyuuga estate. Neji chose not to interrupt her thoughts. It wasn't until they were at the gate that Neji remembered that he had not asked Shikamaru about the investigation yet. He hastily bade Hinata goodnight and walked back to the Leaf Village. It was getting late… Shikamaru was probably back at his own house. Nonetheless, he knew he would not get any sleep if he didn't find out if there was any news on the case and deemed it worth the journey.

He arrived on the Nara doorstep as the sun was beginning to set and knocked. Shikamaru answered the door. His face registered shock. "Neji? What are you doing here? It's almost curfew! You'll never get back to your place in time."

"Then I'll run," he answered simply. He had no intention of doing so, but it sounded good. "I _need_ to know how the Night Terror investigation is going."

"Losing sleep?" His face relaxed with concern.

He sighed. "Is it that obvious?" Everyone seemed to be so involved with his sleeping habits.

"Yeah. You've got dark circles under your eyes and you're so tired on your feet that it doesn't look like there's a stick up your ass at this particular moment." He smirked. It was a joke, but the humor was lost on him. He supposed it was because he was exhausted and ornery. "Come on in. My mom just made tea anyway."

He stepped across the doorway and removed his shoes. "Thanks."

* * *

**A/N:** Dude, seriously... if you liked it enough to read to the end of the third chapter, can you AT LEAST say so in a review? I see people have read it but no one says something. You know that if you don't review, your author gets discouraged, yes? This story's got about 20,000 total words coming up in the future, part of it invested in a sequel. If you don't like this story, I've got no reason to write a sequel, you know, and I keep it allllllll to myself. :-(

Anyway. I hope you're enjoying it if you did read. Thanks for stopping by. :) ~Duckess

* * *

**Chapter Four: Curfew**


	5. Curfew

**Chapter Four: Curfew**

* * *

Once they were situated at the table with tea, Shikamaru began explaining. "Well, most of it you probably already know, or have guessed. The killings seem to be cyclic, corresponding with the phases of the moon. Whoever it is doing this only strikes when the moon is virtually nonexistent in the sky. The new moon. Naturally, that makes it very difficult to see anyone skulking in the darkness of the Village. There's a lot of street lighting on the main drag, but the edges of town, particularly family holdings on the skirts, are left vulnerable. We're trying to have more lighting installed, but it's just going to narrow down the killer's targets, and if you want my opinion, I think that will do more harm than good."

"Why is that?" Lessening the number of targets seemed pretty smart. He made a mental note to insist on light poles near Hanabi's bedroom.

"Well, it will mean that we've protected some of the kids, yeah, but it means we've opened up others to attack. We'll make it more dangerous for the kids in areas with less lighting, and ultimately I believe we'd be blamed for that. No one's kids are supposed to be more important than others."

He heard the subtlety there. "But some kids are." It was not a question.

Shikamaru nodded grudgingly. "Yeah. Obviously, prominent figures in the community have insisted that their lights be done first. Hiashi Hyuuga, for instance." _Oh, good_. "Most of the more noble clans. Especially Akimichi, after the last death."

"I'm sorry," Neji said, offering condolences. Akimichi was Choji's clan. Surely Shikamaru had at least met the girl who'd died.

His face twisted with pain, confirming Neji's assessment. "Jordi was Choji's first cousin, on his mother's side. Choji is really close with all of his younger cousins. The guy loves kids. He's heartbroken. I've met Jordi. I taught her how to play Shougi a few years ago. She was probably going to always be awful at it, but she liked it anyway. I've been meaning to play with her again. Choji kept telling me that she was begging for a rematch, after all these years. Now I feel terrible about it. I was just always so busy." He ran a hand through his hair and mussed it up. Neji said nothing.

"Anyway," he continued after a minute, "the lights are going up whether I like it or not. Also, it looks like the killer intends to claim three victims per new moon phase. This is the third month since they started. That means, by my calculations, there will be two more victims this cycle. The timing has made it complicated to investigate. We have to be extra vigilant during the new moon phase, and then the trail goes cold for the rest of the lunar cycle, and we're left scratching our heads. We've questioned everyone we can think of that might have heard or seen anything. There's simply not a trace. We've got patrols out constantly at night, even if we're pretty sure that nothing is going to happen until the sky grows dark. We've got patrols quadrupled during the new moon, and we really can't spare the Shinobi to do it. This internal problem is making our borders suffer. The Village is painfully vulnerable to attack right now." He loosed a heavy sigh.

Neji hadn't thought of that. It made perfect sense now why Shikamaru had been chosen for this duty. It always seemed like he thought of every minute detail. "Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

Shikamaru barked a humorless laugh. "Yeah. Catch the Night Terror?" It was a joke, but Neji could tell by Shikamaru's demeanor that it wasn't quite a joke. He couldn't tell Neji to break curfew and hunt the killer down, but he wouldn't mind, either. "I'm starting to get migraines thinking about this. I'm even useless in the night patrols. Without light to cast a shadow, my ninjutsu is useless, and my taijutsu is mediocre at best. Thinking is all I can do, and my brain is starting to hurt."

"I'll see what I can do. If I'm going to lose sleep over this, I'd rather lose sleep doing something useful. Hinata's fretting about Hanabi's safety. So am I. My cousins are terrified."

"That's actually kind of adorable, coming from you," Shikamaru said with a grin. "I always thought you hated your cousins."

"I did," he admitted. "I hate them less now."

Shikamaru shook his head at the jest. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Hiashi is obsessed with Hanabi's safety. It's a little freakish, honestly. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole family was forbidden to sleep on these nights just to stand vigil outside her door."

"Not quite," Neji explained. "But that does make me feel a little better. I should get going. Let me know if you think of anything."

"Likewise. Anytime."

When he left the Nara house, the sun was gone. The only lights left to Konoha were the colors of the sunset as they fled the scene. The street lamps were winking on. Too few, he thought. His eyes easily selected pockets of shadow in which anyone could hide. It made him uncomfortable. He walked a little more quickly than he intended. Even then, he didn't spot the gate of the Hyuuga estate until well after total darkness had claimed the world, and even then, he could barely make out its silhouette because he knew exactly where it was. So dark!

He was still several hundred yards away when he heard something. He froze, all the hairs on his neck standing at attention. His blood ran cold, heart pounding in his ears as he struggled to listen. Quick, light footsteps were hurtling this way. He sidestepped off the road and pressed his back against a tree. It made him feel marginally safer, and the pounding in his chest subsided. He shut his eyes and focused his ears on the sound.

He readied himself for combat, quietly and slowly activating his eyes. Closer… closer… he felt a presence pass his position, a ripple in the universe. He took a deep breath and leapt into action. He came up behind whoever it was and immediately immobilized major chakra points in the person's shoulders. It would cripple their ability to use any hand signs and focus chakra, but wouldn't kill him or her. Then, he planted a shoe on the person's back and kicked hard, sending them sprawling forward.

He heard a sharp, feminine gasp as she hit the dirt. "Neji!" she shrieked. "It's me!"

He was utterly confused. "Hinata? What the hell?" Then, remembering his manners, he reached down and helped her to her feet. "Sorry about that."

"It's nothing," she said through gritted teeth. He sympathized with her; those two chakra points were probably the most painful other than the internal organs. They were embedded in a mass of muscle fibers, cartilage, and ligaments.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, suddenly suspicious. He loved his cousin. She was the gentlest person he'd ever met. No one would ever suspect her of being capable of violent crime. In his paranoia, he suddenly suspected her of exactly that.

"I… I thought you would have been home by now." She dodged his question. Doubt gripped his heart with icy fingers. "I… was coming to find you."

"You're lying," he accused, sad to be correct for once. "You're a terrible liar, Hinata." He tried to calm his voice down. He wouldn't get the truth out of her if he scared her off. "What are you really doing out here?"

Silence stretched between them. He was just about to knock her unconscious and march her to Shikamaru's house for questioning when she finally spoke. "I'll… show you," she said as she grabbed his hand. She took off at a sprint, practically dragging him with her. Instinctively, he trusted her, allowing his feet to follow. It was a short run upwards. He concluded that they were probably going to the top of some hill or other. "Neji, are you using the Byakugan?" she asked quietly.

"No," he told her, cursing himself for being an idiot. Would have made the run in the dark a little less dangerous.

"Good. Don't. Close your eyes." Now he was really confused. She grabbed his shoulders. For a horrifying moment, he feared she was about to push him off the wall, and finally, his faith returned. This was Hinata. There was absolutely no way that she was the killer, and if she was, then all he had come to believe in was lost anyway. He relaxed, shut his eyes, and let himself be maneuvered. When she had him where she wanted him, she spoke again. "Open. What do you see?" she asked, suddenly sounding excited.

He opened his eyes. It was dark. He wondered if this was some sort of trick question. He even spent a few moments pondering, desperately wanting to figure out what she was getting at so he didn't look like a fool. Finally, he gave up. "It's pitch black, Hinata. I see nothing."

"Yes!" she said, clapping her hands together. "Absolutely nothing. Now, use your eyes."

His brows knitted together with confusion. Then it dawned on him. Those eyes. He activated his Byakugan, rendering the world in a mosaic of black, grey, and white.

"Now what do you see?" she asked, sounding absolutely beside herself with pride.

It suddenly occurred to him what the purpose of this exercise was. The solution was chilling. "Everything. I see… everything." His throat felt dry and scratchy.

When she next spoke, all the joy in her voice was gone. Her voice was a whisper. "You see, Neji? The Night Terror… is a Hyuuga."

* * *

**A/N:** OH SNAP! Be honest here... did you guess that?

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Mostly because I love Shikamaru. He's seriously my absolute favorite. Please take a moment to let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter Five: Hide and Seek**


	6. Hide and Seek

**Chapter Five: Hide and Seek**

* * *

"No," he stated flatly. "Absolutely not. You're not doing this." He folded his arms across his chest.

Her eyes burned with a fire he'd never seen before. "Yes," she snapped. "I am." She folded her arms too, a perfect mirror of her cousin.

They sat across from each other, cross-legged, on the hilltop where he'd showed her the truth about the Night Terror. There, she laid out her plan to capture and eliminate the Night Terror. Her plan, in his professional opinion, was crack-brained.

"You are absolutely not going to skulk about the streets at night, alone, trying to hunt down a serial killer. Especially not with how tired you've been. Your father would have me killed if he knew that I had some part in this."

"Or knighted for ensuring the safety of the better daughter," she shot back with bitterness. "And I'm not skulking, I'm hunting. I've been doing this for the past month. I have to, Neji. I'm the only one that can."

_Whoa, what?_ "The past month? Are you insane?" Her pale eyes narrowed at him. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"Neji," she said tiredly, "all my life, I've been useless. As a daughter, I failed my father. As a Shinobi, I failed my sensei. As a sister, I failed Hanabi. I've been nothing. I don't mean anything to anyone. I've nearly been killed in battle dozens of times. I've been a liability."

"Hinata—"

"Well I'm sick and tired of being in the way all the time. I know I can do this. If I can catch the Night Terror, I will protect—" she started holding up fingers and counting, "—my sister, my family, my comrades, my village, and my ninja way. Everyone will be proud of me. I will be proud of me. Maybe even Naruto will be proud of me. You'd be proud of me, I know you would, even if you're angry with me now. I can do this, _and I'm going to!_" And with that, fury blazing in her ghostly eyes, she dashed down the hill toward the village.

He sighed, but lent it some more thought. She did have a point. If the killer was a Hyuuga, only a Hyuuga could bring him in. No one else could see in the dark, and no one stood a chance against the Gentle Fist in the dark. The Shinobi in him wanted to alert the investigation team. He almost ran to do it now to put the kibosh on Hinata's suicidal mission.

On the other hand, something stirred in his soul. It gurgled up from the painful reaches of his heart; a memory. He saw Hinata as a little girl, her smile bright and wide. She was dancing back and forth on both of her feet, excited and happy. She wanted to play with him. He had liked her immediately and loved her for her energy… right up until the moment his forehead had been branded, banishing all the affection he'd ever had for her.

She had shared this secret with him. Only him. He now recognized it for what it was: an invitation. She wanted his help. She wanted to share this with him. It was a promise that together, they would earn a name for themselves during one of the most dire moments in Konoha history. She would have to be acknowledged for it, and when she was, she would include him in it, too. They'd be heroes.

A little boy named Neji bubbled up out of the dark place in his heart. Yes, he did want to play with her. It was exciting. It was dangerous. It was against the rules. There was a monster in the shadows, and he was the hero who would slay it. It was the ultimate game of hide and seek. Having talked himself into this giddiness, he raced after her.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to face him. "Hinata, wait. There's something I want to say."

The fury she'd worked up momentarily subsided, a storm held at bay. "Okay," she said, relaxing.

He pulled her to him in a hug. He heard her gasp with surprise. "I want you to know exactly why it is that I've allowed you to train with me. I want you to listen very closely. For all of my life, I, too, have been nothing. When we were children, my father was taken from me, and I had been led to believe that it was because your father sacrificed him for the good of the family. I nursed my hatred for you and your family because I believed you to be responsible for my loneliness, and my low position in the family.

"At the Chunin exams, when I… lost." It was hard to say that out loud. "When I lost, your father came to talk to me, and I learned the truth. Naruto's words affected me, too, and I realized that if I wanted to be—truly—strong, I needed to have something worth fighting for. I want you to know… that what I fight for now is you."

"Wh-what?"

"You are the best of us, Hinata Hyuuga. You're the only one fit to be the Head of this family. And when you are, when my uncle finally realizes that you are worthy of honor and your place in the family and reaffirms you as his heir, I will know that I helped with that. Besides that, you have a gentle heart to go with that Gentle Fist, and you won't hurt the branch family. You're strong and kind. I want to protect you, because I want to see where the Hyuuga family will go when you're in charge of its fate.

"Whatever else anyone believes—your father, your sister, Kurenai-sensei, or Naruto—I want you to know that I am already immensely proud of you, and you have nothing further to prove to me." He released her from the hug.

She stumbled back a step, eyes wide and dazed.

"Now," Neji said with a grin, "let's go catch us a Night Terror." He grabbed her by the hand and dashed toward the village.

When they were nearly there, she yanked back on his hand, stopping him. She had regained her composure. He turned to face her. "Neji," she said. "Thank you." He nodded his acceptance.

The Village was silent and eerie. Each of them quietly activated their Byakugan. Then, hand in hand they walked slowly into the darkened streets of Konoha. Neji's heart thudded in his chest. The thrill of upcoming battle was something that never left him. Somewhere in this town was someone who was murdering children. He and Hinata were the only ones who could see the killer. They were breaking every rule in place to pursue the murderer. It was so exciting; he was having trouble containing himself. They used those first few minutes to calm down. Hunting down cold-blooded killers was fun and exciting, but that didn't change how dangerous it was. They needed to be rational and calm if they were going to do this correctly.

"Okay," Hinata said, uncharacteristically taking the lead, "we need to scour the city inch by inch. We'll be faster if we split up. We'll start here, and I'll go south. You go north. Zig zag through Konoha and meet at the Main Gate to come back home. Be sure to give special attention to family or clan compounds."

"We should probably have a signal when we've found something so that we aren't fighting alone," he suggested.

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot." She smiled and handed him a plain black bracelet. He snapped it onto his wrist. "I had these made for a situation like this. If you pulse your chakra through it, it will affect the pair. Watch." She focused her chakra, and a fresh blue burst lit the night for a moment. Instantly, his wrist grew warm. "It won't tell you where I am, but it will tell you that you're needed. I know you're smart enough to be able to find me, though. We don't want the enemy to know we are hunting him either."

He felt choked with emotions he wasn't familiar with. She'd had this made, for _him_? Her smile was bright through the negative photo of his eyes. She was totally in her element right now. "It's brilliant, Hinata. Good idea. I'm sure I can find you if I need to. Can you find me?"

He smile broadened. "Don't you remember?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "Remember what?"

"We used to play hide and seek when we were little all the time. I always found you. I have a knack for this. It will be fine."

He smiled. The memory was faded to almost nothing, but he did vaguely recall playing with Hinata when he was young. "I do remember, though not well. Be safe, cousin." He embraced her one more time, and then he dashed off in search of the Night Terror.

* * *

**A/N: **Aaaand now they are the bestest of friends! I think it makes a neat sort of sense, don't you? Neji and Hinata were both outcasts in the Hyuuga family and just didn't realize that they had that in common. *rubs hands together* Alright, let's go kill stuff.

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Thrill of the Hunt**


	7. The Thrill of the Hunt

**Chapter Six: The Thrill of the Hunt**

* * *

Just like in his dream, he was running up and down the streets of Konoha. The world was painted in blacks, whites, and greys. He sprinted up one road and down another. He didn't have a destination in mind. He had trusted entirely to his instincts, allowing himself to be driven over some of the same pathways again and again. His eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of movement or the telltale blue glow of a chakra network. His ears strained, listening for any muffled cry of alarm, or any sign of struggle.

Occasionally he caught sight of one of the Leaf Shinobi patrols. These he skirted, staying out of sight and trying to tread silently. Trying to be a hero he might be, but he was still out after curfew. If they caught him, Lady Tsunade might confine him to house arrest or suspend him from any missions. He couldn't risk that. Instead, he took to the rooftops.

Once upon the roof, he shrank back against a wall to minimize any silhouette and scanned the area. He ran his gaze slowly across the skyline, looking for any shadow or figure cut against the dark sky. Nothing. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, over some of their favorite restaurants, over the Academy, past the Hokage's tower. He wound up back at Shikamaru's. A solitary light was on in a window. He wondered if Shikamaru was up late trying to crack the case. Hopefully tonight went well and Shikamaru could get more sleep tomorrow with the killer in hand. He smiled at the thought and willed his friend to get more sleep.

Just as he was nearing the Inuzuka clan's grounds, he caught movement as a figure dropped off the roof onto the streets below. He crouched, hoping he wasn't seen. He pulsed chakra gently through the bracelet, hoping it wasn't too bright to be seen. The wristlet warmed against his skin. That done, he dropped off the roof himself onto the pavement below. Staying close to the walls so as to hide in the shadows, he tiptoed toward the place where he'd seen the figure drop. His heart pulsed heavy in his ribcage. This was it! He peeked around a corner, and was just in time to see someone's blazing blue chakra signature disappear around another corner. He was just about to reach the place where he'd seen it disappear when he realized that, if the killer was indeed a Hyuuga, then they could probably see his chakra, too. There really wasn't a point in hiding in the shadows unless he was avoiding patrols.

With that in mind, he strolled down the center of the street. He was ready for the fight. His blood burned in his body, pulsing through his temples. He flexed his fingers, limbering them for the Gentle Fist.

He felt a gentle tug at his sleeve, and turned to see Hinata. She'd found him after all. He had to admit that he was pretty impressed by that. He smiled at her so she knew that he saw her, but neither said a word. He gestured with his hand toward the direction where he'd last seen the mysterious figure in the night. He and Hinata crept closer. They rounded another corner together, and again just missed their prey. Whoever it was was moving faster now. Street corner to street corner, the killer was just a bare step ahead of them. They tried to pick up the pace, but they lost all caution in doing so.

Finally, they rounded a last corner and ran smack into one of Konoha's patrols. The ninja who they'd barreled into shrieked with fear. "N-n-night Terror!" he shouted. His companions, two other jounin by the looks of it, formed a tight knot with their backs turned inward. The one they'd barreled into made a swipe with a kunai in their direction, but they'd already backed up out of reach. The patrol, unable to see them, swung their heads wildly, trying to find the intruder.

And, much to their dismay, Neji and Hinata caught a glimpse of the actual Night Terror just past the patrol, pale eyes practically glowing in the darkness, disembodied in the thick blackness of night, their edges crinkled in the unmistakable Byakugan. Their eyes locked across the distance, and Neji felt his blood grow cold. The killer had seen them. The Night Terror's eyes narrowed, and then he was gone into the darkness.

Unable to cross the terrified patrol, they were forced to flee the way they'd come. As soon as their feet hit pavement though, the patrol was running after them. "Shit, he's getting away!" one of them yelled. "After him!" Neji grabbed Hinata's hand and made all haste toward the Nara grounds.

Once they lost the patrol, Hinata burst out laughing, pulling him to a halt. "Wow, Neji, that was so awesome!"

The excitement was infectious. He found himself cracking up, too. "What a rush!" he exclaimed.

"Did you see their faces?" she giggled, her eyes shining. "They thought we were the Night Terror! Priceless!"

They heaved, simultaneously trying to catch their breaths and laughing uproariously. He had to admit that, despite the unmistakable danger, it had been a blast. He couldn't remember a time that he'd ever had so much fun.

"You saw him, right?" he asked her once they'd finished laughing. She nodded gravely. "You were right. He is a Hyuuga." Both their faces grew solemn. This was not good, not at all. If one of their family was on a killing spree and anyone knew about it that would reflect poorly on their clan for a long time to come. The Golden Age of the Hyuuga Clan that he'd been dreaming about might be on hold indefinitely. He could see in his younger cousin's face that she'd been thinking much the same.

Her eyes burned into his. "We have to stop him." He nodded in agreement. "Who do you think it is?" she added, more quietly.

He spent a thought on it, but honestly, the idea of any of their family on a death quest was absurd. "I really don't know, Hinata. Any or none of the Hyuuga family could be just crazy enough to want to kill. I don't think it really matters which of the family it is. They just need to be stopped."

"Neji, should we tell the investigation team what we know, or not?" Her face was full of doubt.

He understood. If they told, a number of possible scenarios could play out. The most dangerous, of course, was that the entire Hyuuga Clan could be quietly eliminated, just like the Uchiha clan. They were the most powerful clan in Konoha, now, and if the elders of the village were capable of ordering the destruction of all the Uchihas, down to the last harmless child, what was to stop them from deciding that they'd had enough of the Hyuugas, and that their family was too unstable or too unpredictable to trust anymore? Another possibility was that he and Hinata would be hailed as saviors of the village and exempt from whatever fate the rest of their family was forced to endure. That meant Hanabi, too, though. Maybe they could talk the younger Hyuuga into going along with whatever they said to warrant protection as well. If they did that, though, it was also entirely possible that they'd be hated for causing the death of their family. They'd go down in history as being responsible for the obliteration of the great Byakugan.

If they didn't tell, the biggest risk was that anyone could find out. If someone found out that they had known and not disclosed the information, they could be branded as traitors. On the other hand, the integrity of the family would be saved.

What was more important? He and Hinata exchanged a knowing look. It was a tough choice. "Your family, or your village Hinata. If we tell, we choose the Village. If we don't tell, we choose the family."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. This choice was causing her pain. She didn't want to choose. She lowered her eyes and wrung her hands together, fretting about it. "Can we think about it?" she asked dully.

"I think we can," he said. "Not for too long though. Let's try to catch the Night Terror tomorrow. We can talk about this again tomorrow night. Want to skip training tomorrow morning so we can sleep in?" he asked gently. He was starting to feel pretty exhausted with missing his sleep.

Her eyes snapped back to his. Stubbornness shone forth. "No!" she exclaimed. "I've been hunting the Night Terror for over a month now, every night. I still need to be stronger."

He sighed, unsure if he even liked this new Hinata anymore. She was starting to sound like Naruto, and he wasn't a fan of all that nonsensical energy. He was glad for her strength and progress, but he sure as hell wasn't going to show weakness in front of her and admit he'd rather sleep in than train with her. "Fine," he relented. "Training in the morning then. Do you want to check on Hanabi, or shall I?"

"I can," she said. "Race you back to the house?" She grinned, her teeth bright to his strange eyes.

"You're on!"

* * *

**A/N: Totally watching nerd cartoons with friends tonight so I will forego the A/N tonight. ^_^ Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Tonight is the Night**


	8. Tonight is the Night

**Chapter Seven: Tonight is the Night**

* * *

_He saw the eyes before he saw anything else. Pale, lavender, veins straining in the assassin's face. They saw him from a window. They saw him from the darkness. They saw _him_, and through him, and everything that he was. Then, there was a menacing smile. The killer saw his thoughts, knew every dark little secret he hid deep within his heart. The killer knew he didn't love his uncle, Hiashi. The killer knew he'd not be terribly sad if something tragic happened to his youngest cousin, giving the clan back over to Hinata. _

_The killer knew, and he laughed at Neji. _

_Neji ran from the eyes, but around every turn, there he was again. He was dressed completely in black. The only telling feature of the murderer was his deadly, ghostly eyes, so much like his own. He turned around a corner, but the killer was there, advancing, a knife raised. He spun on his heel, intending to escape from elsewhere, but there he was again, closer now. He jumped to the rooftops, and was greeted by gales of laughter in a thousand voices: old, young, male, female, whispers, shrieks. _

_The killer was the hatred of the Leaf Village. Every deep, dark secret of every inhabitant of the Leaf, given a body and allowed to run amuck. It was as if the hatred of the people had been given shape and loosed with the sole purpose of putting terror back in the hearts of men. It struck at their hearts, at their children, the one thing in a man's life that he cares about more than his own hide. His legacy. The most precious legacy of all Shinobi._

_It chased him. He knew fear. He ran blindly through the village, hiding where he could. Every time he hid, he was found. There would be no peace. He was not an innocent in the cycle of hatred. Even now, he was filled with hate. _

_"I know you, Neji Hyuuga," it laughed at him. "I will kill every innocent that the Leaf has to offer to atone for your crimes of hate, and for all the crimes of hate of all of the Leaf's Shinobi. You can't find me. You can't catch me. You can't because I'm not real. None of this is real. All that exists is the hate, and the death. The terror."_

* * *

He was startled awake by the shaking. He sat bolt upright in bed, chakra sparking up and down in his veins, ready to attack.

"Neji, wake up!" said a quiet voice from his bedside. Hinata.

The alarm clock was on. The radio was playing. "Hinata, what the hell? What time is it?" He blinked sleepily at the numbers. "5:30. Shit."

She nodded and bit her lip impatiently. The situation resolved itself in his foggy mind. He'd slept in and was late for their morning run. He rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands. His whole body was sore. He felt the inability to function. _I'm really, really tired_, he told himself. Hinata was practically dancing with impatience.

He lolled his head to one side and rubbed at his neck. Also sore. He groaned, then blinked his pale eyes at his—very awake—cousin. "Coffee?" he murmured hopefully.

She sighed and disappeared. He dragged himself out of bed and dressed. The radio was still on. "The eighth victim of the killer now known as the Night Terror was claimed in the night. Ten year-old Sora Hagane was found dead in his—" He swiped the alarm clock off the night stand and sent it flying into a wall, the cord ripped from the wall socket. He'd had enough of the news. "I get it," he said to the wall. "The bastard kills kids. I'm on it."

He opened the door to his bedroom. Hinata was just coming down the hall holding a steaming paper cup. "I didn't think you drank coffee," she said to him, relinquishing the cup.

"I don't," he said simply, taking the cup. He drank down the contents without once worrying about how hot it was or how nasty the taste was. "I hate coffee, but I need the caffeine today." Her brows knitted together with concern, but for all the world, she did not appear the slightest bit tired compared to him. How did she do it? "Hanabi?" he asked her.

She understood the unspoken question. "She's asleep. Sprawled all over the place like a goose. Thank goodness."

He nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

After the run, they sat in companionable silence, meditating. His whole body felt like a wreck. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten to be so sore, but figured it had something to do with the exhaustion. Perhaps his muscles were locked up during his nightmare? He made a note to ask Sakura for something strong later.

He was lost in thought during their Gentle Fist practice. His mind was still on his nightmare. He kept seeing those pale, emotionless eyes. Kept hearing the voice telling him that the killer in the village was partially his fault. He was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice that he was really drilling Hinata until she went flying across the grass. "I yield!" she shrieked. "What the hell is wrong with you today?" She clutched at her side, and that's when he realized he'd really hit her hard, and how he'd hit her.

"Fuck, I'm sorry!" he shouted. He applied chakra insertion quickly to several of her other tenketsu, hoping to restore some of the flow of her chakra. It wasn't perfect, but it would alleviate some of the pain he'd caused. "I'm so tired I can barely think, and when I'm thinking it's about my nightmares."

Her face softened. "Nightmares, huh?" She draped an arm over his shoulder and let herself be led to the hospital.

"Yep. I'm either chasing the Night Terror or it's chasing me. Either way I feel helpless. It's either I can't sleep or I sleep and deal with that. When I wake up I have to listen to the mother fucking radio telling me about who's dead now, and I just feel like an utter failure for not catching him last night. It feels like my fault somehow." He held her carefully. If she put any weight on her right leg the wrong way, it was going to hurt like hell.

"We'll catch him tonight, Neji. Don't worry so much. At least we're trying." She tried to smile to reassure him, but her face was twisted as she tried to hide how much he'd hurt her. His heart fell. He felt like a dick. Despite that, he admired her determination and her trying to cheer him up. She was right, anyway. They were trying, and it was more than most could really do. He suddenly wondered how Shikamaru was holding up, remembering the lone bright window at his house.

Sakura was packaging some materials when Hinata limped in supported on Neji's shoulder. She dropped the bag she was holding and her face mutated into that of an angry beast. "Neji Hyuuga, what in the hell have you done to Hinata this time?" She adjusted one of her gloves, a subtle hint that Neji had learned over the years meant she was about to enter ass kicking mode.

He hurriedly tried to explain himself in a way that garnered sympathy. "I'm too tired. I even braved that vile coffee beverage you all like so much to try to wake up. Hinata insisted on training no matter how tired we are—" he shot her an apologetic look, which she accepted graciously "—and I've been having nightmares. I wasn't paying attention. I'm very sorry."

She glared at him, arms crossed, for several moments before she sighed, exasperated. "What am I going to do with you two? Do you have a death wish or something? Criminy!"

"Sorry, Sakura," Hinata said meekly as she endured Sakura's medical attention.

"Whatever," Sakura grumbled. She pressed her green tinted healing chakra into Hinata's body. "You're done." She dusted her hands off and waved for Hinata to stand. "I'm prescribing you both sleeping medication and putting you on medical training suspension. You aren't allowed to train before noon until further notice. For fuck's sake, get some sleep. You're going to really hurt yourselves."

Oddly enough, he found himself silently thanking Sakura while Hinata spluttered out excuses. Sakura was having none of it. "Absolutely not, I said. That's final. And, if you obey me, I'll make sure I send Naruto to check on you to make sure you're doing what I've told you to." She winked at Hinata.

Hinata blushed immediately, eyes flying wide open. "Naruto?"

"Yep. I'll send him with your prescriptions, as if I was too dumb to get you enough to get through the week. Neji, I'll give you the full week. Unless you've got a girl in mind that I can send with them? No? Good."

He smirked, applauding Sakura's brilliance. She had somehow gotten complete complacency out of both of them while ensuring their health and safety. She was actually a very good doctor. "Thanks, doctor," he said with a smile.

"No problem. Now get out of here. I don't want to see you for the next two weeks." She waved them off and returned to her medical supplies. Dismissed, just like that.

"Barbecue," he told her. He hoped that Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji would be having lunch there, too. If so, he could tell Shikamaru about the sleeping medication and probe his mind for any more information on the Night Terror. Hinata nodded absently, already lost in thought about Naruto.

Shikamaru wasn't at the barbecue restaurant, but Ino and Choji were. Ino looked harassed as usual; she was never 100% at ease when Choji was eating. He embarrassed her, no matter how hard he tried (which wasn't very) to be more polite around her and no matter how hard she tried (which wasn't very) to just accept Choji for exactly who he was. Despite that, they were very good friends.

Neji and Hinata sat with Ino and Choji. It was nice to have a moment with friends. "Sorry about your cousin," Neji told Choji. Hinata offered her condolences as well.

"Thanks, guys," Choji told them. "She was a really nice girl. You would have liked her." They ate in silence a moment, unsure how to continue the conversation.

"Sorry Shikamaru isn't here," Ino finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "He's in some sort of Night Terror investigation meeting."

"Have they learned anything new?" Neji asked, trying not to sound too eager for news.

Ino shook her head. "Nah. This is starting to get ridiculous. People are starting to blame the murders on some vengeful god or other. Gods don't kill people. People kill people in the name of gods."

"Do you think this is some kind of religious thing?" Choji asked Ino.

She shook her head again. "Of course not. It's just another sick psycho who gets his rocks off killing kids. Shikamaru will find him, and then we'll kill him." She smiled and held her fist up to show she meant business. "Shikamaru's a genius. It'll happen. You watch."

Neji grinned despite himself. Shikamaru's team looked rough from the outside, but their family ties went deep. They were like brothers and sister; constantly annoyed with one another, but loyal and dependable nonetheless. "That reminds me," he said, drawing one of his doses of sleeping medication from a pocket. "Sakura gave me these to help me sleep. I don't have much I can spare, but give this one to Shikamaru for tonight, and if he likes it he can get himself some more."

Choji and Ino both gifted him with a gracious look. "Thanks, Neji," Choji said, receiving the potion. "He needs this. I'm sure he'll appreciate it as much as we do."

"Anytime. Anyhow, we have to get going. More training stuff to do." Choji and Ino waved as one while Hinata and Neji stood. Hinata dropped some money on the table to help them pay for the barbecue, then they made their exit.

"Tonight is the night," Neji told her as they left. "We have to catch him tonight."

"Do you have a plan?" she asked him.

"Not yet, but I'll think of something."

* * *

**A/N: **I believe there are two chapters after this one. We're nearing the end! Also, if interested I have already written a sequel to this one. It's shorter and written differently, and actually a lot of might get mad at me. There is some-GASP!-character death in it. Anyway, the idea struck me so I wrote it down. I'm merely the vessel by which my inspiration flows. The story commands me, not the other way around. I am helpless to its whims. ^_^ At least, I like to think so.

Anyway, this one is coming to a close. ^_^ Please let me know if you are enjoying it. OR, if you don't like it, please say why? I LOVE reviews! :-D

~Duckess

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Seeing is Believing**


	9. Seeing is Believing

**Chapter Eight: Seeing is Believing**

* * *

He met her at the gate of the Hyuuga compound. He explained his plan. She grinned, pleased with his idea. With the plan in mind, they split up as they had the night before. Except this time, Neji trailed Hinata. He stayed back, guarding her back as she used her apparently amazing hide and seek skills to track the Night Terror.

He had asked her how she did that, but she hadn't been very good at explaining. All she could really say was that she had a good instinct for where people like to sneak and hide because she was good at doing that, too. It was as if a normal person could see a maze of paths and be completely confused, not knowing which way was up, down, or the way that they had come. Hinata saw a much smaller network of paths. She saw the main pathways, which someone as secretive as the Night Terror would most likely avoid. She saw the lighted areas, which he would also avoid. She knew the lesser pathways, but also the ones that did not end in dead ends and went straight through the village. Put simply, she was more acquainted with how to move about the city unseen than anyone Neji had ever met. It was almost like a Byakugan within a Byakugan itself.

He followed her patiently as she examined the streets, looking for any sign that the area had been disturbed. Part of him was antsy, thinking they were wasting time moving so slowly. The smarter part of his brain, though, knew that she was being more thorough and more calculating, and begged the rest of him to bide his time. She also did the same thing he had, backtracking over the same streets several times in case the Night Terror had passed after they had.

Finally, after several agonizingly slow hours of backtracking, zig-zagging, and careful observation, Hinata stopped. He watched as her senses went on alert. She froze, stood straight as a board, and turned her head slightly to the side, straining her ears. Then, he felt his wrist grow warm from the bracelet there. She had sighted their prey.

Yesterday felt like fun and games. It was little Hinata and young Neji, hunting the streets for bad guys. It was hide and seek. Tonight, they were pure, pissed off Shinobi, and the Night Terror was going to die.

Neji followed her gaze and sighted the killer. It was his role in their plot to get behind the Night Terror and fence him in to prevent him from running if he so chose. In a quick dash across the rooftops, he was in position. He sent the signal through their bracelets, and Hinata's form relaxed.

"I see you, killer of children!" she shouted across the night air, all traces of gentleness voided from her voice. "Stand and fight me! You can't run. I possess the same eyes as yours, and your chakra blazes like a fire in the darkness." Hinata's stance changed. She stood in the traditional Hyuuga form, ready to deal out some damage with the Gentle Fist.

If the Night Terror didn't run, Neji's purpose was to be the lynchpin if anything went wrong with the fight between Hinata and the Night Terror. They had trained together long enough that he had full confidence in her abilities. He was completely confident in his own, but Hinata was nearly matching him step for step. She would fight this battle. She deserved this, since she'd been hunting the Night Terror far longer than he had. And then, if she somehow failed, he would step in and crush the already fatigued killer.

The Night Terror did not run. Neji waited, and watched. This close, he could see that the other figure was of a height with Hinata. He was dressed all in black with only his eyes showing. If any other ninja were to face him, it'd be next to impossible to read his moves. Not so for Hinata, who could see down to his little finger tip glowing blue with life. He walked closer to Hinata and assumed the same stance.

Hinata struck first. She rushed in, right palm first. She was countered, her hand slapped harmlessly away as chakra burst from her fingertips into the night sky. The other went for a low jab to the side, but Hinata countered, twisting his arm outward and going for the heart herself. The Night Terror leapt backward, out of reach for the moment.

Hinata was going for the kill. With the Gentle Fist, three kinds of kills could be made. A single, well-placed shot to the heart would shut it down. Likewise, disrupting the flow within the internal organs just right would cause a slightly slower kill, but a death nonetheless. The last, least efficient way, was to shut down all of the body's 361 chakra points. Hinata was aiming for the heart. The Night Terror had just realized that, and would now be on guard.

The killer rejoined the tight quarters of their combat, apparently enraged. There was a flurry of aimed Gentle Fist jabs from both Hinata and her opponent, but both were experts at countering. Neji had to admit that the other fighter had considerable skill. In his mind, he saw all of his family members that he thought might fit the ninja's size, and tried to match them with this one's skill. There were too many, but even so, he tried to prepare himself for who it might be. That moment when his identity was revealed might be a shock to either of them, and hesitation in the heat of battle meant death.

They continued to exchange blows, but neither had landed a single hit yet. After several minutes, both of them retreated slightly, calculating. He knew that moment in any fight with a skilled Shinobi. Each was thinking up a plan to throw the other off guard or get behind. If either could get one strong hit in, then the tide of battle would turn.

Hinata shut her eyes and put her fingers to her brow. He knew that sign, and what was coming next. Inwardly, he celebrated. Hinata was doing a fantastic job so far, and he didn't think he could have done any better in her place. "Gentle Step, Twin Lion Fists!" she cried, crouching. Her face was set in a grim line as chakra surged through her forearms. The now familiar faces of lions roared forth onto her fists.

Neji had the satisfaction of seeing the Night Terror shift on his feet uncertainly. He knew very well that no Hyuuga save himself had ever seen this technique. _Take that, you evil son of a bitch!_ He thought. Little boy Neji did a fist pump in his mind.

Hinata charged. The Night Terror braced to meet it. What happened next was an inspiring onslaught from one the Leaf Village's most public disappointments: Hinata Hyuuga, disgraced by her father in favor of her baby sister, was going toe to toe with a violent serial killer with an art that she herself had developed. The beauty of it was that the murderer, a Hyuuga himself, was going to be taken out with a technique he'd never known. All her opponent could really do was dodge.

Hinata swung in with her right fist. The Night Terror knew by now that she was right handed, and twisted his body slightly to his right as well. Hinata missed, but her rotation had improved so greatly that she spun on her toe in the opposite direction, connecting with her left to the Night Terror's face.

_YES!_ Neji's mind shouted. _HELL YES!_

The killer went flying across the pavement, hair flying as his mask was shredded on impact. For several satisfying moments, no one moved. The chakra on Hinata's hands flickered in the dark, blazing as brightly as ever. The enemy lay on his back, hair awry and covering his face. Neji held his breath. This was it!

The Night Terror slowly struggled to his feet. He used one hand to wipe blood from his mouth, then stared at it in disbelief. "No one has ever beaten me before," came a quiet, feminine voice.

Hinata and Neji both started with disbelief. They recognized that voice.

Hanabi straightened herself, brushed the hair out of her face. Her trademark lock fell back into her small face, but she ignored it. "You've improved, sister." She chuckled.

Neji fought the urge to join in the conversation. A thousand questions zoomed through his mind. He wanted to ask her what the fuck she was thinking. He wanted to ask why she did it. He wanted to know what had warped her mind so much and how she could still seem so sweet otherwise. He wanted to, but he didn't. This fight wasn't over yet, and he might still be needed from the shadows.

"Hanabi?" Hinata finally squeaked out. "_You _are the Night Terror?!"

* * *

**A/N: **OH SNAP! Part of me feels that was kind of predictable, but I tried to make it not so predictable. There really aren't that many Hyuugas we know by name. Oh, Hanabi, you scary beyotch. This is one of the scenarios I predict could happen when you make Hanabi more or less an only child with a dad like Hiashi.

Alright, readers. Tell me what you think. ^_^

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Gentle Fist Art: Divine Intervention**


	10. Gentle Fist Art: Divine Intervention

**Chapter Nine: Gentle Fist Art: Divine Intervention**

* * *

"Such a fitting name, I thought," she giggled, her girlish voice completely at odds with her crimes. "Makes me feel like a bit of a badass. I know you're wondering why I did it, so I'll just tell you." She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "I am the strongest Shinobi in the Leaf Village. On the other hand, I don't believe people are really at their best unless they are fighting for their lives. I wanted to test myself against who I thought was the best. I asked Father," she intoned, sounding every bit her age. "He said I should try to fight the hardest opponents that I can to become strong. I don't think he quite understood what I had in mind, though." She giggled again.

"So why fight children then?" Hinata asked out of horror.

She pouted. "They _are_ the strongest kids at the Academy. They're not as weak as you think. Sora, for instance, had already mastered Shadow Clones. He could make about fifty at a time." Past tense. Sora was dead. "He could hit any mark with any weapon: kunai, shuriken, giant shuriken. Standing still, moving, at a hundred yards, you name it. He had already discovered that he could use Earth Style and was mastering jutsu that would put _your_ pathetic friends to shame. My generation has already surpassed yours at eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve years old. That," she said with a glare, meaning Hinata's strike, "was a lucky punch."

Hinata ignored the jibe. "So you killed them while they slept?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"Goodness, no!" Hanabi said indignantly. "I'm not a monster! You think our parents would let us fight like we _want_ to fight? They're worried we'll get broken." An accurate assessment, Neji thought. "We wanted to test our true strength, to see how strong we were or could be. It was my idea to have secret matches, and they agreed. I sneak in their windows at night and invite them to a grudge match. We have a special practice field we use with lights. And then, we fight to the death. I haven't lost… obviously. When the other ninja dies, I take them back to their bed." She smirked again. "So. How about it? Want to find out who's the better daughter, once and for all?"

Neji listened with horror. He already more or less knew how this was going to end. Hinata would not, could not fight her younger sister. She was too loving a person to fight her blood to the death no matter what she'd done.

"Hanabi," she whispered, tears rising in her eyes, "you're my baby sister. How can you ask that of me?"

Hanabi frowned. "Shinobi must learn to kill their emotions in order to carry out a mission. You should be able to do that by now." She shook her head and grumbled, "Now I understand why I could always beat you so easily. You're an emotional basket case!"

"Maybe I am," Hinata admitted with a shrug. "But ninja with emotional triggers can still be strong. Look at Naruto Uzumaki. His emotions make him reckless, and yet he's probably going to be the next Hokage." Saying his name seemed to give her strength. She squared her shoulders and faced her sister, her eyes filled with the resolve that had wavered before. "Kill me if you must. I will not fight you, sister mine. You're too precious to me."

Hanabi's face contorted with anger. "You'd just let me kill you, just like that? How _useless_ are you?" Her hands balled up into fists. "What about all the precious ninja children I killed in cold blood?" she taunted mockingly. "Sora Hagane, Jordi Akimichi, Danube Yoshi, Latia—"

"STOP IT!" Hinata cried. "Stop it, Hanabi, this isn't who you are!"

"How do you know who I am?" she retorted with bitterness. "It's not like you spend time with me anymore. Father won't let you."

Tears were flowing freely down Hinata's face now. "I would if I could, Hanabi. I love you. I'd do anything to protect you." Love shone from her eyes. The lions on her fists retreated.

Hanabi hesitated, uncertain. Several moments passed where neither of them spoke. Neji sensed his chance was near. When Hanabi spoke, her voice was quiet. "Even… even though I've killed comrades?" Again, she sounded every bit as young as she was, a child in need of attention.

"We'll find a way," Hinata assured her. All of them knew it for the lie that it was, but he knew that all of them wanted to believe it. Hanabi was unstable. There was no way they could just let her be after this.

Hanabi looked down at her hands, thinking.

Neji saw his chance. He dropped to the ground behind her, silent as a shadow. He grabbed her by the arm and spun her. Her eyes went wide with surprise. "Neji!" she gasped out in shock.

"Gentle Fist Art: Divine Intervention," he said softly, sadly. He gathered all the chakra to his free hand, pressed his palm into hers, and blasted. She screamed in pain and fell to her knees. He grabbed the other hand while she scrabbled at his hands, begging him to stop whatever it was he'd done. He blasted her other hand, shutting down all the chakra points from her elbow to her fingertips. As she lay there, kicking and screaming and staring at her arms in disbelief, he pressed his two fingers to her forehead and gently shut down the tenketsu there to make her pass out.

Hinata fell to her knees and sobbed. She didn't know what he'd done, but she had heard her younger sister screaming in pain on a dark street in Konoha. His heart went out to her. Lights started to flicker on in the houses nearby. People came to their windows and peeked out the door. Neji took control of the situation. "Somebody inform the Hokage. The Night Terror attacked my little cousin." Murmurs rose in volume from the crowd that was gathering as he approached Hinata. He sank down next to her and gathered her into his arms. He didn't say anything. Nothing he could say would make her feel better. In a way, he felt he'd betrayed her, even if he'd done it to protect them all. He'd definitely broken a cardinal rule of the Hyuuga family: never cause harm to a member of the Main Family. He could be killed for that, if anyone knew.

"Hinata, listen to me," he whispered urgently so only she could hear. "We need to get our story straight before anyone asks. Hanabi was the ninth victim of the Night Terror. The killer told us before he disappeared that he needed nine sacrifices for the nine tailed beasts. He was crazed and strange. We don't know what he needed them for, only that he's finished now thinking he killed Hanabi. That will explain why the killer doesn't return. We'll need to count on Hanabi's silence."

Hinata sniffled, but nodded. "What did you do, Neji?" she asked quietly.

Neji looked away. He didn't want to tell her, but she needed to know. "I permanently destroyed the chakra points in her arms."

Hinata gasped. When he turned to look at her again, her face was filled with horror. "How?" she choked out.

"It's a jutsu that I created. My intentions while I was learning control of the Gentle Fist were not so noble as yours," he admitted darkly. "It's easy when you think about it. Gentle Fist inserts a small amount of chakra into another's body, disrupting the flow. The technique I used inserts a lot of chakra and rips it quickly out. It's an overload on the senses, and it breaks tenketsu. She won't be able to use chakra through her hands anymore." It left a bitter taste in his mouth though. He had guessed but hadn't know that it would be excruciatingly painful.

They both knew what that meant. No more Gentle Fist. No hand signs. No jutsu. Hanabi was done as a ninja, forever. On the other hand, it also meant she was done challenging other ninja to the death, since she had no hope of winning.

"Poor Hanabi," Hinata lamented.

Tsunade arrived then, her face a mask of fury. Shikamaru was yawning behind her, still in his pajamas. "Where is the Night Terror?" she asked.

"He fled," Neji responded shortly. "Hanabi needs medical attention. Then we'll talk."

Tsunade's face softened, and she went to the girl's side. She probed her body with chakra, eyebrows pressed together. "Something is wrong with her chakra, but other than that she seems alright. I've never seen anything like this, though. Neji, would you come here please?"

He did as she was bid, peered closely at Hanabi with his Byakugan, made a show of checking on her chakra network and taking the time to properly observe. Then he frowned and turned to the Hokage. "I can't see the chakra points in her hands and arms," he told her grimly. "It looks like she doesn't have them anymore."

"You're kidding!" Tsunade exclaimed with horror. "Is that even possible?"

"It appears so," he replied evenly. Hinata sobbed again. He was glad for it now, as it lent credibility to their beautiful lie.

"What the hell happened?" she shouted angrily.

He took a deep breath. Here went nothing. "Hanabi has not been sleeping well. She hates sleeping in her bed because she is afraid of the Night Terror. She sneaked out in the night and went for a walk. Hinata and I both check on her when we can to see if she is okay. I woke up and checked on her, and I found that she wasn't there, so I woke Hinata. We both left to look for her.

"When we found her, the Night Terror was standing over her as if she were already dead. He was babbling something about sacrifices and Tailed Beasts, one sacrifice per demon. He said now that Hanabi was dead or as good as, his work here was done. He asked us to never forget their noble sacrifice to the world, and then he disappeared. Not ran away, actually vanished before our eyes."

"That sounds very strange," she said dubiously.

"It was," he responded. "Is she going to be all right?" he asked, feigning concern.

"She's actually not that damaged, unlike the other victims." Neji's heart raced as he watched her face struggle to make sense of the differences, worried she might challenge their claims. "Maybe he performed this jutsu wrong. Perhaps he meant to shut down all of Hanabi's chakra points, but only managed enough strength to obliterate her hands and arms. Long story short, yes, she'll be fine. But her chances of remaining a ninja are slim to none. She can't focus chakra now. Her best hope of being a Shinobi is to focus solely on her taijutsu, like Rock Lee."

Neji let go a long sigh, but he didn't say anything else. What needed to be said was said already. Anything more might give something away. He desperately hoped that Hanabi didn't say anything. He didn't think she would, for that would condemn her, but he feared it nonetheless.

"I'll need to keep her at the hospital for observation," she said, lifting the former Night Terror into her arms like the child she should have been. Neji nodded his thanks and went back to Hinata.

They walked home in uncomfortable silence.

* * *

**A/N: **I try not to invent jutsus very often, but... one, I wanted to highlight the awesomeness that is Neji's genius. He did figure out the Gentle Fist on his own, and I think it's altogether possible that he'd invent some new sick techniques that make him stand out as someone to be feared. It's not too far a stretch to bend the ability to _temporarily_ shut down the chakra network to the ability to _permanently_ shut down the chakra network. Also, a similar thing happened to Orochimaru (though that was... wait for it... the SOUL of his ARMS, which seems a little more ridiculous than I imagine my idea here was) and that was clearly very painful for him.

I have gone on a bit at length about this because I'm setting you up for my sequel. :) They are two very different stories, though, I warn you. There's one chapter to go for this one (a very short one that I will probably just post tonight) that wraps up what's going on here. There's plenty that could happen in the future, though, and I'm not going into that with this story.

Anyway. Lend me a review, please. :) I hope you liked it!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: In the Future, Perhaps**


	11. The Future, Perhaps

**Chapter Ten: In the Future, Perhaps.**

* * *

"Father says he's thinking about reinstating me," Hinata said over dumplings. She'd won again. Since that fateful night, Hinata had shown renewed vigor and confidence. He was sure it had something to do with winning her rematch with her sister, who'd ousted her so many years before. If it were him, that'd be it. Being beaten by your very much littler sister could not be good for ego. Beating her while holding nothing back would do wonders for the same damaged ego.

"Oh really?" Neji asked conversationally.

"Well, kind of. I asked if he needed me to be his firstborn again and he said 'we'll see.' That's more than I usually get, so I'll call it a win." She smiled.

Neji poked at his food, not really interested in it. "Did she say anything yet?" _About what we did? _The unspoken question was there. The only thing he really worried about at all is that she'd let slip the truth, and what he'd done to her, and doom them all.

Hinata shook her head sadly. Hanabi had not uttered a single word since the incident. She would talk to no one, see no one. She spent her days locked within her room, screaming in pain. She spent her nights walking alone in the courtyard of the Hyuuga estate like a ghostly waif, tears constantly running down her face. She was completely broken.

Neji knew Hinata's thoughts about her sister were forlorn. Twisted, scary, and violent she might have been, but Hanabi was always going to be Hinata's baby sister. She poked at her dumplings, too. It was not like Hinata to let her dumplings survive unscathed. "Neji… did we do the right thing?" she asked uncertainly.

He thought about it. He wavered on thinking so, but he always told her the same thing. "Of course. We've saved an untold number of lives. And you never know… she might feel better someday, when it's not too soon. More importantly, the fear we've been experiencing is gone now. People can relax. Happiness is important." He didn't really believe it, either.

"Right but… she's family. Is it okay to sacrifice your family for your village?" It wasn't like her to ask him for advice, either. She usually followed her own heart, and it seldom led her wrong.

"Remember when I asked you that? 'Your family, or your village. If we tell, we choose the Village. If we don't tell, we choose the family.' We did what we could to protect both. We didn't tell, and now Hanabi's secret and the prestige of the family are safe. And, we saved the village. We just have to hope Hanabi feels more like herself in time. Her world was corrupted because of her strength as a ninja. It got to her. She's too young to deal with the responsibilities your father piled onto her. Perhaps now that she has to face life without them, she might be a better person for it." He smiled to try to reassure her, but even he was not convinced. Hanabi was likely never going to recover. Having something as beautiful as the art of Gentle Fist taken away like that would leave him broken, too. Hanabi was a lifeless shell, and he didn't really have a lot of optimism for how she might improve in the future. Honestly, death was probably a more humane option. He wondered, and often, if he should have just killed her that night, but he knew that he never could have done that in front of Hinata.

"I hope you're right, Neji. I miss her." She pushed her plate away. The lucky dumpling was going to get away this time.

He pushed his plate away, too. "I miss her, too." _The child she should be, not the one that she was._

* * *

Nightfall found him sound asleep in his bed. He never lay awake late at night anymore. His alarm clock was set for 5:15 a.m., but now the clock radio played big band and symphony instead of the news. There wasn't any news worth hearing during peacetime. He no longer had horrific nightmares about fear, hatred, and the murder of the innocent.

Instead, when he slept, he saw his family, except that Hinata was head of the family and always smiled, and Hanabi held her hand and smiled, too. Hiashi was _trying_ not to smile, being the stoic that he was, but he couldn't help it. He was proud of Hinata and loved Hanabi despite her fatal flaw. And there, behind Hinata's shoulder was himself, grinning like an idiot, something he never did. His curse mark was gone.

He liked to think that his dreams told the future, now. Why not?

* * *

THE END

* * *

**A/N:** And that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. :) There will be a sequel. Its working title is "The Night Terror," but that is subject to change. I'll get the title page up tonight. :)


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